What is “Logistics”?
I have been asked on more than once occasion,
“What is Logistics?”
It has been stated that Logistics is the art and
science of managing and controlling the flow of goods, energy,
information and other resources
like products, services, and people, from the source of
production to the marketplace. It involves the integration of
information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material
handling, and packaging.
For the most part, Logistics as a concept is
considered to have evolved from the military's need to supply
themselves as they moved from their base to a forward
position. In the military, logistics evolved on three levels:
Strategic, Operational, and Tactical, for which logistics
planners moved large volumes of supplies from the factory to the
foxhole/individual soldier.
Logistics as a business concept evolved only in
the 1950s mainly due to the increasing complexity of supplying
one's business with materials and shipping out products in an
increasingly globalized supply chain and later, just in time
inventory (JIT). JIT was key to supplying steady state
manufacturing, and reducing the millions of dollars needed to
maintain and manage large inventories to support manufacturers.
In other words, JIT can be defined as having the right item, in
the right quantity, at the right time, and for the right price .
This
requires experts called Supply Chain Logisticians.
There are two fundamentally different forms of
logistics. One optimizes a steady flow of material through a
network of transport links and storage nodes. The other
coordinates a sequence of resources to carry out some project.
The U.S. Federal Government uses logistics to
perform many of its essential functions including: supplying its
armed services both domestically and on the battlefield;
coordinating emergency relief efforts and delivering necessary
supplies and medical personnel after a natural or manmade
disaster; maintaining Ready Reserve Force (RRF) cargo ships and
assuring spare parts used on those maritime vessels while at sea
are accurately inventoried and replaced on-time; and delivering
your mail accurately, cost effectively, and in a timely manner.
Now
that you have an understanding of “Logistics”, we think you will
have a greater appreciation for LSI and the expert logisticians
and information technology capability that we can bring to bear.
The President’s
Message to Our Future Customers
In my view, Logistics
is the effective and efficient orchestration, and management of
mass resources in motion. Logistics is a process oriented and
complicated task that requires managers with extensive/vast
logistics management, program management and information
technology integration experience.
Logistics Systems
Incorporated (LSI) was incorporated under the premise that
Logistics Management, Program/Project Management and the
Integration of Information Technology are unavoidable and is
vital to the efficient operations of any government or
commercial firm.
LSI can support
your organization's “end-to-end” processes in logistics
management and information technology systems integration.
However, our corporation’s focus is to provide unique services
and solutions that are critical in the age of evolving
technology. LSI wants to ensure that our clients are provided
the tools and management experience necessary to exploit current
technology while utilizing the best management practices of the
21st Century, because we must compete and win in a global
economy.
Lawrence Wilkerson
President and CEO
Logistics Systems Incorporated
Logistics
Systems Incorporated
